Cake Sprinkles

Remember the pleasure of making mud pies when you were a kid? I remember my daughter making them for my grandfather and how he dutifully sat under a shade tree for hours saying how much they were. But now that we are all adults, it is time to enter the chocolate and make adults very tasty "Mud" desserts. Our first recipe comes from a popular cafeteria chain here in Texas Luby's Cafeteria called. They are a popular Mississippi Mud Cake and shared this recipe with us. The second recipe is for Mud Hens, they may not look very good, but you can be assured they are.

Luby's Mississippi mud cake

Cake:

2 sticks butter or margarine, softened

Two cups granulated sugar

1 / 3 cup unsweetened cocoa

4 extra large eggs

1 3 / 4 cups all purpose flour

1 cup chopped pecans

1 tsp teaspoon vanilla

Frosting:

1 stick butter or margarine

1 3 / 4 cups sifted powdered sugar

2 cups mini marshmallows

2 v. soup powder + 2 1 / 2 c. teaspoon unsweetened cocoa

1 / 4 cup milk

1 / 2 cup pecan pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour cooking 9 x 13 inches.

For the cake: In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar and cocoa until smooth and creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour, pecans and vanilla to mixture. Mix just until blended and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Set pan on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing sugar: Combine butter, powder, marshmallows, cocoa powder and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until marshmallows are melted, stirring almost constantly. Pour over cake, sprinkle with pecans and cool completely. Garnish each piece with a dollop of whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, if desired.

MUD HENS

1 / 2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 egg white, 2 egg whites booking

1 1 / 2 cups flour

1 tsp teaspoon baking powder

1 tsp teaspoon vanilla

1 / 2 c. salt

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix butter, sugar, egg yolks, 1 egg white, flour, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Drop-in pan 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Sprinkle with nuts. Beat the two remaining egg whites until stiff and stir in brown sugar. Spread the nuts. Bake for 30 minutes. Cut into 24 squares while still hot.

Enjoy!